Suspend vs. Expelled: What's the Difference?
By Janet White & Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 22, 2024
Suspend means temporarily preventing someone from participating in activities or duties, while expelled means permanently removing someone from an organization or institution.
Key Differences
Suspend refers to a temporary exclusion from activities or duties, often used in contexts such as schools or workplaces. When someone is suspended, they are barred from participating for a set period, after which they may return. Expelled, on the other hand, denotes a permanent removal from an organization or institution, such as a school or club. Expulsion is a more severe consequence, usually reserved for serious infractions or repeated violations of rules.
While suspension is temporary and aims to correct behavior with the intent of reintegration, expulsion is final and aims to permanently remove the individual from the community. Suspensions can serve as a warning or consequence to prompt behavior change, whereas expulsions are a definitive action taken when other measures have failed or the offense is too severe.
In schools, a suspended student may miss classes and activities but can rejoin after the suspension period. An expelled student, however, must find another school to continue their education. Similarly, in a workplace, suspension might involve a temporary leave without pay, whereas expulsion (often termed as termination or dismissal) ends the individual's employment permanently.
The key difference lies in the duration and severity: suspension is temporary and corrective, while expulsion is permanent and punitive.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Temporary exclusion from activities or duties
Permanent removal from an organization or institution
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Duration
Temporary
Permanent
Severity
Less severe, corrective
More severe, punitive
Possibility of Return
Yes, after the suspension period
No, permanently barred
Common Contexts
Schools, workplaces, sports teams
Schools, clubs, professional organizations
Purpose
Correct behavior, reintegrate
Remove individual permanently
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Consequence
Missed activities or duties for a period
Must seek alternative institution or organization
Example
Student suspended for a week for misconduct
Student expelled for repeated rule violations
Suspend and Expelled Definitions
Suspend
To temporarily prevent someone from participating in an activity.
The student was suspended for three days for fighting in school.
Expelled
To permanently remove someone from an organization or institution.
The student was expelled from school for cheating on exams.
Suspend
To put a hold on duties or privileges for a limited time.
The employee was suspended without pay pending an investigation.
Expelled
To officially and permanently end someone's membership or involvement.
The board decided to expel the CEO for misconduct.
Suspend
To delay or postpone an event or process temporarily.
The court suspended the hearing until further notice.
Expelled
To officially force someone to leave a place or group.
The member was expelled from the club for violating its code of conduct.
Suspend
To temporarily stop an activity or operation.
The company decided to suspend production due to safety concerns.
Expelled
To remove someone from participation in an activity indefinitely.
The athlete was expelled from the competition for using banned substances.
Suspend
To temporarily prevent someone from performing their role.
The coach suspended the player for breaking team rules.
Expelled
To eject or drive out someone permanently.
The diplomat was expelled from the country for espionage.
Suspend
To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a punishment
Suspend a student from school.
Expelled
To force or drive out
Expel an invader.
Suspend
To cause to stop for a period; interrupt
Suspended the trial.
Expelled
To discharge from or as if from a receptacle
Expelled a sigh of relief.
Suspend
To halt something temporarily.
The meeting was suspended for lunch.
Expelled
To deprive of membership or rights in an organization; force to leave
Expelled the student from college for cheating.
Suspend
To hold in an undetermined or undecided state.
Expelled
Simple past tense and past participle of expel
Suspend
To discontinue or interrupt a function, task, position, or event.
To suspend a thread of execution in a computer program
Suspend
To hang freely; underhang.
To suspend a ball by a thread
Suspend
To bring a solid substance, usually in powder form, into suspension in a liquid.
Suspend
(obsolete) To make to depend.
Suspend
To debar, or cause to withdraw temporarily, from any privilege, from the execution of an office, from the enjoyment of income, etc.
To suspend a student from college; to suspend a member of a club
Suspend
(chemistry) To support in a liquid, as an insoluble powder, by stirring, to facilitate chemical action.
Suspend
To remove the value of an unused coupon from an air ticket, typically so as to allow continuation of the next sectors' travel.
Suspend
To attach to something above; to hang; as, to suspend a ball by a thread; to suspend a needle by a loadstone.
Suspend
To make to depend; as, God hath suspended the promise of eternal life on the condition of obedience and holiness of life.
Suspend
To cause to cease for a time; to hinder from proceeding; to interrupt; to delay; to stay.
Suspend your indignation against my brother.
The guard nor fights nor fies; their fate so nearAt once suspends their courage and their fear.
Suspend
To hold in an undetermined or undecided state; as, to suspend one's judgment or opinion.
Suspend
To debar, or cause to withdraw temporarily, from any privilege, from the execution of an office, from the enjoyment of income, etc.; as, to suspend a student from college; to suspend a member of a club.
Good men should not be suspended from the exercise of their ministry and deprived of their livelihood for ceremonies which are on all hands acknowledged indifferent.
Suspend
To cause to cease for a time from operation or effect; as, to suspend the habeas corpus act; to suspend the rules of a legislative body.
Suspend
To support in a liquid, as an insoluble powder, by stirring, to facilitate chemical action.
Suspend
To cease from operation or activity; esp., to stop payment, or be unable to meet obligations or engagements (said of a commercial firm or a bank).
Suspend
Hang freely;
The secret police suspended their victims from the ceiling and beat them
Suspend
Cause to be held in suspension in a fluid;
Suspend the particles
Suspend
Bar temporarily; from school, office, etc.
Suspend
Stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it;
Suspend the aid to the war-torn country
Suspend
Make inoperative or stop;
Suspend payments on the loan
Suspend
As of a prison sentence
FAQs
Is expulsion temporary or permanent?
Expulsion is permanent.
What does expelled mean?
Expelled means to permanently remove someone from an organization or institution.
What contexts are expulsions common in?
Expulsions are common in schools, clubs, and professional organizations.
Can an expelled person return?
No, expulsion is a permanent removal.
What contexts are suspensions common in?
Suspensions are common in schools, workplaces, and sports teams.
What is the purpose of expulsion?
The purpose is to permanently remove the individual from the community.
Is expulsion a severe punishment?
Yes, expulsion is a very severe punishment.
Can a suspended person return?
Yes, after the suspension period ends.
What does suspend mean?
Suspend means to temporarily prevent someone from participating in activities or duties.
Is suspension temporary or permanent?
Suspension is temporary.
What is the purpose of suspension?
The purpose is to correct behavior and reintegrate the individual.
Can suspension be paid or unpaid?
In workplaces, suspension can be either paid or unpaid.
What behaviors typically lead to suspension?
Less severe infractions, such as minor misconduct or rule violations.
Is suspension meant to be corrective?
Yes, suspension aims to correct behavior and allow for reintegration.
Is expulsion meant to be corrective?
No, expulsion is intended to permanently remove the individual.
Can suspension be appealed?
Yes, suspensions can often be appealed.
Is suspension a severe punishment?
Suspension is less severe than expulsion but still a significant disciplinary action.
Does expulsion affect future opportunities?
Yes, expulsion can significantly impact future educational or professional opportunities.
Can expulsion be appealed?
Yes, but it depends on the institution's policies.
What behaviors typically lead to expulsion?
Serious infractions or repeated violations of rules.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Co-written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
